Mechanically and electrically controlled timing apparatus



G. L. TRAVER March 9, 1954 MECHANICALLY AND ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED TIMING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 4, "1950 INVENTOR.

Quauokhlab Q.

GEO/26E L Tanvez flrroalvsv.

Patented Mar. 9, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MECHANICALLY AND ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED TIMING APPARATUS George L. Travel, Compton, Calif.

Application October 4, 1950, Serial No. 188,289

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a mechanically and electrically controlled timing apparatus.

More specifically speaking, the invention per tains to an apparatus whereby a single, continuously operating motor may be used to time the operations of a plurality'of remote devices, such, for example, as liquid dispensers used to control the intermittent addition of chemicals or other ingredients to a stream of industrial Waste water for the purpose of precipitating impurities suspended therein.

Although it is not altogether new, in the art to which this invention pertains, to provide an apparatus of the above stated kind, yet there remains ample room for improving such an apparatus both in regard to reducing the number of working parts required, and in lowering cost of manufacture, and such improvements are effected by this invention.

One specific object of the present invention is toprovide a simplified, motor driven cam member, and, in combination therewith, an improved cam operated member to open and close an electric switch which controls the supply of electric current to the already mentioned remotely situated devices the operation of which is controlled by this invention.

Other, objects, advantages andfeatures of invention will hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates a preferred, reduced to practice embodiment of the invention,

Fig. l is a wiring diagram wherein some mechanical elements are outlined in side elevation and others in section, and including a mercury controlled electric switch. A cam operated member is shown at one limit of its movement in full lines and at the opposite limit of its movement in broken lines.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional detailon plane indicated by line 2-2 on Fig. l.

Fig. 3, is a fragmentary cross section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring in detail to the drawing, therein is shown a combination base 3 and panel structure 4 whereon is mounted an electric motor 5 which, while the apparatus is in operation, will be kept continuously running. Said motor is furnished with a driving wheel 6 which frictionally drives a wheel I having concentrically secured to it a cam 8, having, in turn, a circular dwell portion 9 interrupted by a generally rightangular recess [0 having rounded corner portions, as shown. Said wheel I and cam 8 are carried by a stub shaft II which is swingably the r devices.

2 supported by one end portion of an arm l2, th opposite end portion of said arm l2 being carried by a pivot shaft l3. Preferably said shaft II is in a fixed relation to the arm l2, and the wheel I and cam 9 rotate about said shaft. Also, desirably, a ball bearing [4 is interposed between said shaft and the cam 9. The cam 9 is located between the arm I2 and driven wheel I. This arrangement facilitates detaching one driven wheel from the cam and then attaching thereto another driven wheel of a different diameter.

A mercury switch It is rockably mounted upon a supporting pivot l1, said switch carrying an arm l8 shown as angularly shaped with a rightangularly directed end portion l9 which is operatively related to the aforesaid cam 9 and its notch l0.

Starting with the positive supply wire 2|, the electric connections will now be described. Said wire 2! leads through the aforesaid mercury switch I6 and beyond said switch is provided with a lead 22 which supplies cur-rent to the controlled devices indicated in the lower, left hand portion of the wiring diagram. At the same time said lead 22 supplies current which drives the motor 5, on its way to said motor supplying current to the low wattage lamp 23.

The aforesaid wire 2| also supplies current through a starting switch 24, the latter switch, separately considered, forming no part of the present invention. Beyond said starting switch the current is conducted by a lead 25 which completes the circuit through the aforesaid control At the same time said lead 25, owing to its communication with the aforesaid lead 22, supplies current to the motor 5, the current on its way to said motor passing through the lamp 23. Also, through a lead 26, the motor and said control devices are grounded.

Describing in detail the preferred construction of the mercury switch l6, said switch comprises a semicircular graduated dial plate 21 which affords an attaching means for the aforesaid arm [8. A turnable shaft 28, carrying an operating knob 29 passes loosely through panel structure 4, said shaft being attached by means of a nut 30 and being frictionally held in place by a coiled wire spring 3| underlying said nut. Said shaft passes loosely through said dial, but is in a non-turnable relation to a knife-edged pointer 32 which co-operates with a series of graduated grooves 33 on said dial, yieldably to maintain said pointer after rotational adjustment in a set relation to said dial.

The pointer structure 32 has a shank portion 34 the lower part of which is shaped to form a snap-in cradle 35, into which is snapped the tube N5 of the mercury switch l6. By this arrangement said mercury switch is caused to operate through the desired angle in relation to the horizontal, it being necessary to adjust the angle of the switch when the driven wheel I is replaced by a larger or a smaller wheel, as is necessary when the timing feature of the device has to be changed. At all times, however, a cam 8 of the same size may be retained, the substituted wheel being quickly and easily attached directly to said cam in a substantially abutting relation thereto by means of threaded pins 36 provided with winged nuts 31, said pins being radially spaced away from the central aperture through said wheel 1. It is to be understood that said cam and its ball bearing structure l4 will be permanently attached to the shaft II.

The use of the swingable arm l2 to mount driven wheel 1 differing in diameter is an important feature of this invention.

As already stated, the aforesaid starting switch 24, separately considered, forms no part of the present invention. However, because of the manner in which it co-operates withthe other parts of the apparatus its structure will be further described. Said switch 24 comprises a stationary arm 40 and a spring pressed arm 4|, the latter arm carrying a lug 42 with which eo-operates a rotatably mounted star wheel 43. Said star wheel is shown having a series of four peripheral positioning notches, one of which, designated 44, is considerably deeper than theothers, so that, when said lug 42 springs into said deep notch under the urge of a diagrammatically indicated compression spring 45, said switch 24 is closed. It is to be understood that said star wheel will be rotated at intervals by conventional mechanical means, for example, a flow watch.

The mercury switch 16 is for the purpose of maintaining the circuit closed through the controlled devices :for predetermined given lengths of time during the periods that the starting switch 24 is open.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus of the kind described, mounting means comprising an upstanding pane1 with a substantially horizontal basal portion, an electric motor mounted upon said basal portion and including a driving wheel which rotates in a vertical plane, an arm having one end portion pivotally attached to said panel, a centrally apertured driven wheel rotatably and detachably carried by the opposite end portion of said arm and held by gravity in a frictional contact with the upper side portion of said driving wheel, a cam, means spaced radially from the aperture of said driven wheel whereby said cam and wheel are detachably secured together in a substantially abutting relation, a mercury switch rockably mounted upon said panel, an operating arm for said switch carried thereby, said operating arm being in engagement with said cam so as to be intermittently operated thereby to close the circuit through said switch, there being an electric circuit controlled by said switch, said circuit including within it remote devices intermittently put into operation by the apparatus.

2. In an apparatus of the kind described, a support, a driving wheel mounted thereon to be rotated in a vertical plane by a motor, a vertically swingable arm having one end portion pivoted to said support. a horizontal stub shaft carried by the free end portion of said arm, a portion of said shaft projecting laterally from one side of said arm, a cam rotatably mounted upon said projecting shaft portion, a driven wheel substantially abutting against said cam and detachably secured to said cam to rotate therewith, said arm 'co-operating with gravity to maintain the lower side of the periphery of said driven wheel in contact with the upper part of the periphery of said driving wheel in a position to be rotated by the latter wheel, and electric switch operating means mounted on said support in an operative relation to said cam, said cam being located between said arm and driven wheel.

3. In an apparatus of the kind described, a support, a driving wheel mounted thereon to be rotated in a vertical plane by a motor, a vertically swingable arm having one end portion pivoted to said-support, a horizontal shaft carried by the free end portion of said arm, a portion of said shaft projecting laterally from one side of said arm, a cam rotatably mountedupon said projecting shaft portion, a driven wheel detachably secured to said cam to rotate therewith, said arm co-operating with gravity to maintain the lower side of the periphery of said driven wheel in contact withthe upper part of the periphery of said driving wheel inv a position to be rotated by the latter wheel, an electric switch operating means mounted on said support in an operative relation to said cam, said cam being located betweensaid arm and driven wheel, and threaded nut carrying pins can'ied by said cam and projecting through apertures provided for them in said driven wheel.

5 GEORGE L. TRAVER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name I Date 258,149 Stern et al. May 16, 1882 752,778 I-Iundhausen Feb. 23, 1904 1,094,440, Hatfield Apr. 28, 1914 1,701,399 Vickery -Feb. 5, .1929 1,743,115 Clark Jan. 14, 1930 1,763,509 Gates June 10, 1930 1,953,019 Le Gorre Mar. 27, 1934 1,986,032 Townsend Jan. 1, 1935 

